Pinchas 5766-2006
"The 'Zealotry' of Pinchas" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week's parasha, parashat Pinchas, opens with the conclusion of the story that began in last week's parasha of a tribal leader…
Remember to Whisper
When reciting the Shema, whether in the morning or in the evening, remember to recite the words "Baruch shem k’vod malchuto l’olam va’ed" ("Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom for…
Shemot 5783-2023
“The Making of a Concerned Jewish Leader” (updated and revised from Shemot 5763-2002) by, Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald With the close of the Book of Genesis, the story of Joseph has come to…
Kee Tavo 5774-2014
“Finding Respite” by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald Parashat Kee Tavo is one of two parashiot in the Torah (the other is Bechukotai) that contains the Tochachah, G-d’s reproof of the Jewish…
Judaism,Rosh Hashana Resources,Rosh HashanaJudaism,Rosh Hashana
Symbolic Foods
Symbolic Foods There is a certain meaning and prayer behind each kind of symbolic food. See if one of the foods holds a deeper…
Can You Count to 49?
There is a commandment (Leviticus 23:15) to count the 49 days that immediately follow the first night of Passover and, on the 50th night, to celebrate the holiday of Shavuot. This period…
Jews and 2020
On Rosh Hashana eve 2007, late night comic, David Letterman, quipped, “It’s Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year 5768, and I’m still writing 5767 on my checks.” As Jews worldwide woke up…
Can You Count To 49?
There is a commandment (Leviticus 23:15) to count the 49 days that immediately follow the first night of Passover and, on the 50th night, to celebrate the holiday of Shavuot. This period…
When Was the First Shabbat?
Shabbat, the seventh day of the week, is described in chapters one and two of Genesis, as God’s “day of rest.” From time immemorial, until the present day, the human race has been…
A Whispered Line
The Shema is both a prayer and a statement of the most fundamental aspect of Jewish theology: God’s oneness. The words of the first line of the Shema are found in Deuteronomy 6:4 (“Hear O…